Wei Long stood tall at the center of the battered ship, confidence shining in his eyes like fire. The beast-riding guildmaster of China — famed, feared, undefeated in many global skirmishes — rolled his shoulders and smirked at Dayanara across the deck.
"You fight well," he said, circling her slowly. "But this is as far as you go."
Dayanara didn't flinch. Her breathing was calm, her posture relaxed, her twin metal sticks resting in each hand like they belonged there since birth.
Wei Long rushed in. he slashed his spear downward in a heavy arc, but Dayanara sidestepped, spun low, and sent a rapid strike toward his thigh — one that barely missed its mark.
Their weapons clashed again, sparks flying. He twirled his spear to disarm her — and grabbed one of her metal sticks, gripping it tightly with a victorious grin. "Got you."
But Dayanara… smiled back.
"No," she whispered, "I Got you, Wei Long."
